RA FOR ALL...THE ROAD SHOW!

I can come to your library, book club meeting, or conference to talk about how to help your readers find their next good read. Click here for more information including RA for All's EDI Statement.

Monday, March 18, 2024

What I'm Reading: No One Is Safe by Philip Fracassi

The current issue of Booklist has a STAR review by me of a collection put out by a trusted small press, by a Nightfire author. See below for my draft review and lots of bonus info


STAR

No One is Safe: A Story Collection

By Philip Fracassi

Apr. 2024. 264p. Lethe, paper, $23 (9781590216040)

First published March 15, 2024 (Booklist).


Fracassi (Boys in the Valley and Gothic), reminds readers that he is not only a rising star as a Horror novelist, but also as a master of the short story, with his latest collection of 14 stories that center on fascinating characters and range in tone from unsettling to absolutely terrifying. The first story, “The Wish,” brilliantly sets the uneasy tone for the entire collection, a tale of a birthday wish with horrific consequences. Fracassi goes on to utilize his remarkable imagination and stunning range to invoke fear in speculative, thought provoking, stories that explore topics such as AI, alien life, Hollywood, a bestselling book, a haunted house as the narrator of its own killing spree, and so much more. However, it is how each story works in tandem– crafting a unique and captivating world, hooking readers immediately, holding their undivided attention, and resolving in a satisfying way that also begs them to turn the page and read just one more– that is most remarkable here. A must read from cover-to-cover for all Horror fans, especially those who enjoy the immersive, original story telling found in collections such as Spin A Black Yarn by Malerman or Breakable Things by Khaw. 

Three Words That Describe This Book: intensely unsettling, captivating, original


Further Appeal:  Other words in contention for "3 words"-- creepy, immersive, character centered.

There are too many stories here that I LOVED and all for different reasons. Each story has an amazing narration by a captivating narrator. 


The genres here bounce around, but all are underpinned by a strong Horror element. Terror unites the collection. Reading the book is fun because the way the Horror elements are incorporates and the way the fear comes at the reader is original and surprising. 


Here are some story notes, although I stopped taking notes on specific stories because they were all amazing, I just wanted to read. This is huge praise for a collection. 


"The Wish": Begins with a clown, which of course, puts most readers on edge, but it is not about the clown even a little. It is the story of a birthday wish that lasts a lifetime and not in the way the birthday boy intended, but also, not in the way readers will expect either. I cannot stress enough how well this story sets the stage for what is to come.


"The Last Haunted House Story": The house narrates this as he stalks the kids who are exploring it.


"My Father's Ashes": One of the best vampire stories I have read


"Aquarium Diver": Alien Horror with a Space Horror feel even though it is set on Earth.


"Overnight": a Hollywood movie set story that lingered with me for a while. 


"Over 1,000,000 Copies in Print": story about a terrifying bestselling author.


"Row": A brand new story to close out the book. I don't want to give anything away but it is a great ending to the collection. 


There is more but this gives you a sampling of the book. I am purposely leaving things vague. 


Get this book on order. It comes out in April. 

Friday, March 15, 2024

Library Reads: April 2024

     It's LibraryReads day and that means four things here on RA for All

  1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
  2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
  3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
  4. Every upcoming book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.
So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. Click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month.

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

Note for April 2024: The Hall of Fame was created by LibraryReads to make sure that perennially popular authors on the LR list did not take spaces away from other authors. Discovery is the main point of this list. Encouraging discovery means that the list must always have new and different authors on it. This month is great example. There are 10 [!] titles on the Hall of Fame List, and these are not new to the HoF authors. These are library "bestsellers." Imagine that those 10 at the bottom of this page were all you got while the 10 titles who made the list, were nowhere to be found. How would you know about them, find other library workers booktalking them through their annotations for you, or even know which other popular titles they are most similar to? You might not. And on this list for April 2024 we have 22 titles (with the 2 bonus Board picks because they don't get to vote and this is a way they get a say as well.) Please make sure you are always clicking on the Hall of Fame archive link to find sure bet, library favorite authors on vernal, or by the month that they were honored.

Now let's get to the April 2024 list.... 



The Husbands: A Novel 
Holly Gramazio
(Doubleday)

Lauren, who's single, comes home to find that not only is she married, but she doesn’t recognize her husband. She discovers that by sending a husband to the attic, she can replace him with a new model—and there seems to be a never-ending supply. The quirky nature of the book, humorous writing, charming characters and the unbelievable situation will have readers completely engrossed.

—Douglas Beatty, Baltimore County Public Library, MD
NoveList read-alike: The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston



The Rule Book: A Novel
Sarah Adams
(Dell)

Nora lands her first client as a sports agent, and it happens to be her ex- boyfriend from college. Derek, a tight end pro football player, needs all the help he can get to revive his career Upbeat and engaging, this sports romance book is breezy with fun characters and plenty of heart.

—Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, CA
NoveList read-alike: The Prospects by KT Hoffman

Happy Medium
Sarah Adler
(Berkley)

A medium reluctantly visits a goat farm to exorcise a ghost, and even though she’s a fake...the ghost is not. This is a story full of sweet love and friendship—and found family—with plenty of heat arising between the main characters. A very enjoyable romance with humor, cute animals, and deeper self examination leading to rich relationships.

—Di Herald, LibraryReads Ambassador, CO
NoveList read-alike: Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

Ghost Station
S.A. Barnes
(Tor Nightfire)

This unsettling space horror novel follows Dr. Ophelia Bray as she is assigned to a crew exploring a deserted planet with ruins from an ancient civilization. Soon it's apparent that something suspicious happened to the previous crew and, even earlier, to the ancient society. Mystery, murder, and secrets keep the reader intrigued and guessing the outcome.

—Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, MI
NoveList read-alike: We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers
Samuel Burr
(Doubleday)

Baby Clayton is left on the steps of a puzzlemakers' society. Pippa, the society's founder, finds and raises him. When she passes away, Clayton, untethered,
longs to solve the mystery of his abandonment. Pippa has created a special puzzle for Clayton to find out the secrets of life and discover his origins. Readers will absolutely love this fun, quirky tale.

—Claire Talbot, Greece Public Library, NY
NoveList read-alike: Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods
Molly X. Chang
(Del Rey)

After a Roman prince discovers Ruying's death power, he uses her sister's addiction to make a deal with Ruying. He needs her to assassinate someone at the top of the food chain, and in return her family will live. The cost of unusual magic, trust issues, attraction to the enemy, and constant action carry this novel.

—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, TX
NoveList read-alike: The Jasad Heir by Sarah Hashem

Late Bloomer: A Novel
Mazey Eddings
(St. Martin's Griffin)

This sapphic romance is based on an adorable but outlandish scenario, where Opal accidentally buys Pepper's inheritance (a flower farm). The way they manage their insecurities and neurodiversity and communicate with tenderness is spectacular. Readers will love seeing them grow as they navigate their relationship.

—Danielle Aronowitz, South Plainfield Public Library, NJ
NoveList read-alike: Bet the Farm by Fiona Riley

Extinction
Douglas Preston
(Forge Books)

When newlyweds are attacked at Erebus Resort, investigator Frankie Cash and Sheriff Colcord team up to find the killers. There is more going on than meets the eye as the killers carry out more blatant attacks at this unique location featuring resurrected dinosaur species, including a family of wooly mammoths. An interesting concept with loads of science.

—Judy G. Sebastian, Eastham Public Library, MA
NoveList read-alike: The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler

Home Is Where the Bodies Are
Jeneva Rose
(Blackstone Publishing)

When three estranged siblings reunite after the death of their mother, things are bound to be tense. As they decide to revisit their childhood with a few home videos, the last thing they’d expect to see is their father carrying a dead body. But there’s no denying the evidence. Readers looking for complex family dynamics and hidden secrets will devour this one.

Karen Troutman, Peru Public Library, IN
NoveList read-alike: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Table for Two: Fictions
Amor Towles
(Viking)

Towles's literary fiction never disappoints. In this collection of short stories and a novella, readers will be entranced by his use of sophisticated and smart language to convey aspects of the human condition. Highly recommended for book clubs and lovers of short stories.

—Julie Klein, The Bryant Library, NY
NoveList read-alike: After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley

Board Bonus pick:

Indian Burial Ground
Nick Medina
(Berkley)

[Editors note: I am giving away a HC of this book right now on the #HorrorForLibraries giveaway. Enter now.] 

Notable Nonfiction:

Sociopath: A Memoir
Patric Gagne
(Simon & Schuster)

See our social media for annotations of the bonus picks


The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the Hall of Fame authors organized in alpha order.

Truly, Madly, Deeply
Alexandria Bellefleur
(Avon)
NoveList read-alike: The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

One of Us Knows: A Thriller
Alyssa Cole
(William Morrow)
NoveList read-alike: Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong

Funny Story: A Novel
Emily Henry
(Berkley)
NoveList read-alike: Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn

Darling Girls: A Novel
Sally Hepworth
(St. Martin's Press)
NoveList read-alike: The Secrets of Us by Lucinda Berry

Just for the Summer
Abby Jimenez
(Forever, Hachette Book Group)
NoveList read-alike: Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja

She's Not Sorry
Mary Kubica
(Park Row)
NoveList read-alike: Fit to Die by Daniel Kalla

Only and Forever
Chloe Liese
(Berkley)
NoveList read-alike: Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

A Game of Lies
Clare Mackintosh
(Sourcebooks Landmark)
NoveList read-alike: Small Game by Blair Braverman

Daughter of Mine
Megan Miranda
(S&S/Marysue Rucci Books)
NoveList read-alike: The Good Son by Yu-Jong Chong

The Paris Novel
Ruth Reichl
(Random House)
NoveList read-alike: Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon

Thursday, March 14, 2024

RA for All Roadshow Presents: Swoon & Screams w/a coupon for our books!

Later today, I am presenting with Robin Bradford and Alex Brown as part of a free, 3 hour Readers' Advisory training event for Booklist. Details here.

If you did not pre-register, don't worry. Everything, including the videos and slides, will be available for everyone soon. I will let you know.

But, today, I did want to spotlight our program. The slides are here, or you can click on the title slide image below. 

Robin and I first planned on giving this presentation at ALA Annual in 2020. The idea was to promote our books, both were in process at that time. We had booked Romance author Sonali Dev and Horror author Silvia Moreno-Garcia (on the day Mexican Gothic was being released!) to join us for a conversation about the appeal of these genres and why we all love them.

Well, I don't need to tell you that the 2020 ALA Annual was cancelled. 

Since then, both of our books in the Readers' Advisory Guide to...series have come out, and Robin and I have given more presentations together than I have time to count, but this dream to do Swoons & Screams, to have a shared presentation about Romance and Horror, that dream had been left unfulfilled. Until today!

And while we don't have the authors this time, we do have School Librarian Alex Brown to join us and talk about how to serve the teen readers for these uber popular genres, and they are one of the best teen librarians out there right now. 

Everything in this program is about serving your readers of these two genres-- from teens to adults. It is from the top experts...us. And, see slide 3 or below for a 10% off coupon on Robin and my books to get even more detailed help. You can click on either book cover to go straight to the ALA Edition store, but don't forget to copy the coupon code first.

We also worked very hard to make the slides as useful as possible for you to use as a handout. This is why I am posting them here today. We have listed the major appeals of the genres, key RA conversation tips, and can't miss titles. Everything you need to help Romance and Horror readers right now. 

I am over the moon excited to present Swoons & Screams with Robin and Alex for all of you. 

See many of you later today and others on the recording. In the meantime, check to the books and slides below.

                        

10% off our books (either or both!) with the code BSRB24. Expires 3/31/24. 

Slide access here 



Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Growing Number of AI Scam Books

Today I just want to pass on an emerging issue that we all need to be aware-- the influx of AI created scam books being sold on Amazon.

Please see the full story here from NPR, "Authors push back on the growing number of AI 'scam' books on Amazon." but here is one small section that explains the overall problem:

Marie Arana is a writer who spent years researching and writing her book LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority. The book came out in February. The day after its release, she went on Amazon to see how it was doing. "Right below the cover of my book was another cover," Arana says. "The cover said 'America's Largest and Least Understood Minority. A Summary of Latinoland.'"

Arana sent NPR a photo of the search result on Amazon. The book says it was written by Clara Bailey. A review of Bailey's work showed that Bailey had published a number of these so-called summaries and put them up for sale on Amazon. NPR asked an Amazon spokesperson about Bailey but did not receive a related response. And the company did not offer anyone up for an interview when asked, generally, about AI-generated books. Since NPR's inquiry, Bailey's books have been removed from Amazon. Bailey's publishing history still appears on Goodreads.

Again, there is more information and depth in the full piece.  

Okay, Becky, many of you may be thinking, that's fine but we buy almost all of our books from Ingram, Baker and Taylor, or from the publishers directly. Yes, I know that, but we need to be aware for a few reasons:

  1. For the times we do go directly to Amazon to buy things that we can only get there (especially print on demand of self-published, popular titles), we need to be extra careful that what we are buying is the actual book, by the real author of that book. If we cannot do that, what are we being paid for.
  2. We know that library patrons are the most likely people to buy books for themselves. Many of them are voracious readers and use Amazon for their ebooks (especially) and sometimes, print. They will not be as aware of this issue. It is our responsibility as information professionals and advisory librarians to make sure they know this is going on and help them navigate their reading options. It is the same as teaching kids to identify misinformation. I would post this article on your website and social media, make sure it shows up in places where your readers are in your building as well. Maybe a sign at the circulation desk or near the "New" books shelves. Just a note like "Buyer Beware: There Are a Growing Number of AI Scam Books. Ask at the desk for more info." Or add a QR code so they can self-service their way to the article. 
  3. And this one is the most important. I don't think this issue is going to stay confined to scammers acting alone on Amazon. We need to stay vigilant and aware because at some point, not too far in the future, I could see AI books creeping onto our trusted platforms and sneaking into our collections. Staying up to date for ourselves and making sure we help our users know about it, is paramount.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: International Booker Prize Longlist Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.  



The International Booker Prize is one of the best resources we have to sort through the best books in translation for English speaking audiences. There is a huge increase in the number of books being translated and this is definitely reflected in an increase in demand from patrons.

You can use my "translation" tag to find more places where books in translation are covered, but today I wanted to make sure the entire 13 book longlist of the International Booker Prize titles was made available here on the blog. More about the award from the main page:

Each year the International Booker Prize introduces readers to the best novels and short story collections from around the world that have been translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland.  

The prize recognises the vital work of translators with the £50,000 prize money divided equally: £25,000 for the author and £25,000 for the translator (or divided equally between multiple translators). In addition, there is a prize of £5,000 for each of the shortlisted titles: £2,500 for the author and £2,500 for the translator (or divided equally between multiple translators).  

The 13 books on the longlist have been chosen by the 2024 judging panel: broadcaster and journalist Eleanor Wachtel, as chair; award-winning poet Natalie Diaz; internationally acclaimed novelist Romesh Gunesekera;  groundbreaking visual artist William Kentridge; and writer, editor and translator Aaron Robertson.  

Their selection was made from 149 books published between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024 and submitted by publishers – the highest number since the prize was relaunched in its current format in 2016. 2024’s submissions were made up of books originally written in 32 languages, up from 27 in 2023. Since 2016, books representing 63 languages have been submitted for the prize, ranging from Farsi and Vietnamese to Kikuyu and Welsh.

The shortlist of six books will be announced on 9 April 2024. The winning title will be announced at a ceremony on 21 May 2024, which will be livestreamed.

The titles as listed on that page are:


Longlist
Each link goes to a page with information about the book and the author.

I also loved this information included by the judges:
The longlist has been announced, featuring books that ‘emphasise our common humanity in a violent world’ 
  • The judges’ selection features ‘books that speak of courage and kindness, of the vital importance of community, and of the effects of standing up to tyranny’, according to Fiammetta Rocco, Administrator of the International Booker Prize 
  • A quarter of the list is written by South American authors, with books representing Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela 
  • The longlisted books are translated from ten original languages: Albanian, Dutch, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish  
  • While some authors and their books might be unfamiliar to English-speaking readers, many are considered to be their respective countries’ greatest living writers  
  • A number of the books highlight the struggles of individuals and minorities in the face of oppression. History, both personal and national, weighs heavily on characters, whether as a result of the hangover of communism in eastern Europe, the legacy of slavery and land theft in Brazil, or the stultifying effect of military dictatorship in Korea 
  • The inaugural winner of the prize in 2005, Ismail Kadare, makes the longlist. Nine authors and nine translators are longlisted for the first time 
  • There are over 50 years between the youngest and oldest authors on the longlist, and one of the books was published in its original language more than 20 years ago 

This list along with links to more information about this year's judges, a full list of every book with authors and translators listed, and more is all available on the landing page. 

And of course, the backlist access is awesome. Visit The Booker Library, a page with access to all authors, books, prize year searchability, and even discussion guides. All in one place.

Please make sure you check out the books and consider adding them to your collections and integrating them into your displays and lists where they fit, and not just as books in translation all year long. 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool: Foreword INDIES Finalists Edition

This is part of my ongoing series on using Awards Lists as a RA tool. Click here for all posts in the series in reverse chronological order. Click here for the first post which outlines the details how to use awards lists as a RA tool.  


Finding "best" lists that are only for independently published books is hard, but Foreword Reviews has been out there since 1998 providing trade book reviews of the best titles from independent presses, in print and online.

And since 2005, they have given awards. Recently they announced the 2023 award nominees in over 4 dozen categories. 

On the award landing page, everything is easily broken out by genre and age range. Even Coffee Table Books, Graphic Novels, Anthologies, and Poetry have lists. You simply click on whichever of the over 4 dozen categories you are interested in to find books.

And on the page for this year's awards are quick links to every year they have given awards going back to 2005. 

While this archive of indie best books is a treasure trove of information for us-- for collection development, helping readers find a great under the radar title, display, lists, etc....-- it is not perfect. I need to note that they still use "multicultural" as a designation. I talk about this in my training programs, but using "multicultural" to designate any book that isn't about white, westerners, is not okay anymore. It is a mistake I made for many years myself. Most of these books are only about ONE culture but we-- white centered society-- use the term to other books by people of color.

Similarly, they also call out LGTBQ+ as a category. Interestingly, I have seen books like Merry Dredgers (which I reviewed here) by a nonbinary author showing up in "Fantasy" and not LGBTQ+, so I cannot accuse them of only including straight people in their lists. Also, I could see why you might have LGBTQ+ as a nonfiction category, but in fiction it is an odd choice. I hope both of these outdated, albeit well-meaning, ways of making sure you have a diverse list, are abandoned in the future. At least I found people of color and LGBTQ+ folks being included in just about every finalist list. 

Finally, back to Merry Dredgers. It is a Horror novel, but it is nominated in Fantasy. (I reviewed it in Booklist here.) Why? Because despite the fact that indie Horror is kicking ass and selling in huge numbers, Forward is not giving it a category. Again, if they only had a few fiction categories, I would let it slide, but there are 14 fiction lists! And if Horror did not have a vibrant indie publishing scene, I would also be okay with this, but it does. Exhibit 1: Christopher Hawkins won the BookLife Prize for General Fiction, for the best self published fiction book of the year....in any genre...and it is 100% Horror. Exhibit 2: have you heard of Eric LaRocca? Of course you have. I could keep going but I have an entire Horror blog you can explore for more.

All of this being said, the Foreword INDIES Finalists lists are a great resource for all libraries as long as you use the lists responsibly and with the full knowledge of their limitations. 

See below for the press release and click here to go to the awards landing page.

Traverse City, MI, March 7, 2024—Foreword Reviews is excited to announce the Finalists for the 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards. As a platform dedicated to discovering, reviewing, and sharing works from university and independent publishers, we are honored to showcase the outstanding talent and skill represented in this year’s Finalists.

Over 2,400 entries spanning 55 genres poured in for consideration. Selected by Foreword’s editorial team, the Finalists now await judgment from teams of librarian and bookseller judges nationwide.

The complete list of Finalists can be found at:  https://www.forewordreviews.com/awards/finalists/2023/

“I am deeply impressed by the scope and range of books submitted this year. Each Finalist represents a significant contribution to the literary landscape and underscores the crucial role that independent authors and publishers play, ensuring a steady flow of diverse and thought-provoking content. The INDIES not only honors outstanding literary achievements but also helps to qualify and connect these exceptional books with librarians and booksellers alike,” said Christopher Nesbit, INDIES Award Director.

“Part of the INDIES joy for me is rediscovering so many fantastic books that didn’t get the attention they deserved when first released or were too quickly forgotten. This best of 2023 competition will once again put the spotlight on what makes indie publishing the soul of the book industry,” shared Matt Sutherland, Executive Editor.

Winners in each genre, along with Editor’s Choice Prize winners and Foreword’s Indie Publisher of the Year, will be announced in June 2024.

Check out the finalist lists here. 

Friday, March 8, 2024

Crime Fiction Genre Preview in LJ

I love the Genre Preview articles in Library Journal, and in fact, this love is why I continue to write the Horror one each and every July.

Today, I not only want to alert you that the Crime Fiction Genre Preview for 2024 is now available here, but also mention that they have made editorial changes to how they are written. What you will see now, as demonstrated in this Crime Fiction Genre Preview, is an article about the genre's overall trends with example titles to illustrate said trends. There is not longer this need for the authors of the Genre Preview to dump every title (with an annotation) into the piece. Instead, we authors have been encouraged to focus on those larger trends and then gather all the titles we want into a spreadsheet with pub dates, ISBN, publisher, etc.... to make an easy, vetted shopping list for you to get your pre-orders in.

We will still include quotes from authors and editors to provide context and expert opinions as well.

I for one am excited to write this new and more helpful article for all of you. But first, it is my colleague John Charles' turn to let you know all about the state of Crime Fiction and the titles you need to be on the look out for.

Below I have posted the introduction to the Crime Fiction Genre Preview, including direct access to the downloadable list for those who want to cut to the ordering chase. Although I will say for those who order and those who do not, as long as you are assisting readers in any way-- so in other words, you work at the public library-- the trends themselves are an invaluable resource. Click here or below to see it in full.




The key trends in crime fiction this year are the desire for immersive escape, a focus on genre blends, and new takes on traditional tropes. Lena Khidritskaya Little, director of publicity at Little, Brown, makes a clear case: “Readers want pure and immersive escape, and they’re willing to sample and mix among genres like horror, noir, [and] sci-fi, as well as fresh spins on normally traditional forms like locked-room or chase or heist narratives.” To track down the clues of 2024,
LJ talked with publishers about what they are noting, scanned through catalogues, and dove into the books. Here are trends and titles to note, spanning spring through fall 2024. A downloadable list of all titles mentioned can be found here.

Keep reading this article on the LJ site here.

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Resource Alert: Passive RA from Lila Denning

Passive Readers Advisory is the fancy way of saying everything we do to suggest books to readers that isn't us directly handing them a book. In other words, all of our merchandising, displays, and lists.

My colleague Lila Denning not only has an entire blog entitled, "Passively Recommending Books" but she has also begun to offer presentations on how to be better at it. 

I wanted to highlight her site as an excellent resource for book display ideas but also let you know about her recent and upcoming presentations in case you want to sign up. The next 2 are with PCI webinars which I know has a wide reach.

That specific post is here.

Recently, she has been compiling lists of where to go to find ideas for Book Displays from the most general to genre specific. There is a lot of great content here. 

Get familiar with her site, try to catch one of her presentations, and.....here is a teaser, we are going to be planning a presentation for the 2025 conference cycle. More soon.

For now, get working on your Passive RA skills with this free resource. 

And if you are at PLA, find me and you will probably find Lila. We can all chat about your service to readers be it active, passive, or, my favorite, interactive. 

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Literary Guide to the Oscars via LitHub

This year, adaptations are represented in 5 of the 10 films up for Best Picture at the Oscars. In 2017, Adam Morgan, of the Chicago Review of Books, analyzed all Best Picture winners and found that adapted screenplays win slightly more than not. I learned all of this in the intro of Ryan Coleman's "Your Literary Guide to the 2024 Oscars" on LitHub. 

Coleman then goes on to analyze each of the 5 adapted film, compares them to the source material, and also to the 5 original screen plays. He looks at all of them through a literary lens. It is a fascinating read for any one who follows the book into movie debate, which is everyone who works in a public library here in America right now.

You should take a look at this article as the Oscars are upon us, this Sunday. Pair it with my post entitled, "Oscar Themed Reading Lists and Display Ideas But Make It Interactive" and get up some kind of merchandising of your collection around this big cultural event-- list, display, online content, something-- today! 

And, leave it up for at least a few days after the Oscars because while the event is on Sunday, the water cooler conversation around it will linger for at least a week, if not longer.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

The Summer Scares 2024 Programming Guide is ALIVE!

 

Click here to access the full guide

One of the best parts of the Summer Scares program is the annual Programming Guide created by Konrad Stump and his team at the Springfield-Greene County Library District in Springfield, Missouri.

Starting yesterday, you can access this guide for Free. There is a page for each book just like this one for Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison.


There is also an article by Library Advisory Council member, Jocelyn Codner about using Summer Scares in Academic Libraries. And more, all accessible here for free.

This is also the perfect time to remind you that there are Programming Guides available for every year since 2020 available at the Summer Scares Resources Archive here.

However, the most important reminder is that all of this bounty of books, programming ideas, readalikes, discussion questions, and more can be used anytime of year and in any year. We create a new guide, for the 9 new titles each year, but the information is useful all year long. The 2020 guide has 9 vetted titles with readalikes and discussion questions and program idea just as the guides for 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024 do. 

Use them all, at any time, to help Horror readers of any age. Our info in a past guide still work today. And let us know if you need help at anytime by emailing libraries at horror dot org.